Messenger Service

MsNobody

I searched this forum and didn't really come up with anything about this.

I'm having a problem with constant pop-up windows disguised as Windows prompt menus but they really aren't. I have Spybot Search & Destroy but that only comes up with 'DSO Exploit' which is won't remove. These pop-ups happen even when I'm not on the internet. I think it must spyware. I use Firefox so I shouldn't get pop-ups from the internet anyways.

I noticed that about 10 minutes (literally) after I reformatted, I got these pop-ups. I was using Firefox the whole time too.

EmSixTeen

I'm surprised there are still people who use the net on a regular basis who don't know what this is and how to disable it.

On a related note, I was messing about with DOS Prompt in college in my first week, hadn't used it in forever 'n' all and had figured out how to get to the protected folders.. Well, was sending people net send messages, making them "WTF?", then I tried to send a simple "" to the entire class.. Whoops, made a wee mistake, made it send both of every single computer on both of the two campuses on the network

Wolf68k

I'm surprised there are still people who use the net on a regular basis who don't know what this is and how to disable it.

You have to remember there are a lot of people that don't know jack about computers.The only thing they use them for is to get online and check email and maybe some mild surfing. If anything bad happens they don't know who to call or trust and they usually will call and M$ or the maker of their computer in which case they get someone in India who they can't understand half of what they say anyway (that's not a slam on anyone).

These are the people that Dell, HP and Gateway make systems for. This is why the OS is preinstalled on their computers along with many other things like an anti-virus. This is also the reason that M$ finally desided to make it so that auto-updates are always on and the user can't change the settings (which pisses me off, make it so you can't disable it fine but to completely disable any user options is BS) but also to disable this service and a few others that were already turned on with original release and still in SP1.

Luke2004

I guess I can post this in here:Well, I run a couple of users on my computer, not at once, I aren't linked to any networks or nothing, and was messing around with the service, my mate told me his IP (I was doing this only to test) to find that using net send in command prompt, doesn't work, so whoever are making these advertisements seriously need to re-think a way of advertising... anyway I heard that they send certain packets through the internet to a port. Usually these are blocked through a firewall, but sometimes they skip through that and annoy people..the worst thing about these ads is that it usually happens when you're not on your computer, or doing something serious.

I used to sit on a Sunday night watching my computer, bleep and come up with all these Messenger Service ads, surely someone can do something to stop these people. You can send it to yourself if you're on a single computer or on a network, but you can't send it to other ips, fair enough.. but using this to advertise your company to others is just stupid.

I tried to see if I could send to different users on my computer, so they get it as an ad when they log onto their username, but it doesn't work, so maybe they'll make that next. I'm guessing that there are more stand alone computers with different user accounts though, maybe if Microsoft find a way to message to other users without going into their files. People would like this better, and maybe they should make it so it can only be sent to networks, and other programs can't be used to send these messages to others.

Wolf68k

I have Spybot Search & Destroy but that only comes up with 'DSO Exploit' which is won't remove.

I knew I forgot about something.Run Spybots updates and make sure you're running 1.3 which is the latest version.If that still doesn't do the trick, use this patch http://www.majorgeek...wnload4392.html

@Luke2004The service, if I'm not mistaken, is also found in Win2k and it does only work within LANs. M$ in their "genius" knew that with broadband internet services and many companies not out-sourcing part of their work force, they needed a way to tell people outside of a LAN that something is going on and there would be no times for emails or phone calls or memos or whatever else.The problem is that M$ didn't think (nothing new there) that people would use it for spamming people or using it for DoS attacks (which it can also be used for very easily).

I don't really understand what you mean here; "...maybe if Microsoft find a way to message to other users without going into their files..."

What would have been smart is for M$ to make it easier for Joe Blow user to enable and disable this. Just put it some where in a Control Panel, the System panel sounds like a good place as long as it's not hidden under 20 other buttons and tabs.Start->Control Panel->System / Misc. Tab check or uncheck the box of Messager Service and include a link to the Help which explains it. Simple idea, no? M$ needs to learn to K.I.S.S.

Luke2004

I meant leaving a message to another user on your computer so they get it when they log on without having to put something in their start up folder.

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with Microsoft, it's just sometimes they make new things and don't think of the cons. If they spent more time planning.. they would have known this was going to be a bad idea.

Wolf68k

Don't get me wrong, I know quite a bit about computers. I know about scams and things like that that were mentioned in this topic. Honestly, I don't go around my computer messing with promts or DOS.

@ wolf68k: I've downloaded that patch more than once and it still won't work.

You're running XP SP1 with all of the latest patches, plus Spybot 1.3 and applied that patch and yet SB still says the DOS exploit exist?If yes to all, then something it really FUBAR with that system.I've applied that patch to dozens of systems running SP1 and SB1.3 and it's always worked out perfectly.